This invention relates to data generation and, more particularly, to the generation of data in groups separated from one another by long intervals.
There are some applications in the data handling field for data to be generated in groups separated from one another by long intervals of time. One such application is the recordation of address data in the address track of a disc file memory system. Items of address data that identify different circumferential segments of an information zone on the face of a disc are recorded in the address track at known positions spaced around the circumference. Between the beginning of the segments of the information zone, no data is usually recorded in the address track.
In the past, all the address data to be recorded on the face of a disc file has conventionally been stored in a memory unit from which each address data item is taken in turn and recorded in the address track of the disc at the proper place. A substantial memory capacity is required to store all the address data items, and it is difficult to coordinate the placement of these items at the desired positions in the address track. The present trend is to build disc file memory systems having a plurality of discs capable of storing information on both faces in a plurality of information zones with different bit periods. Thus, there are presently available disc file systems having as many as 24 individual information zones. Each such information zone requires its own address track with address data items. Sometimes there is imposed a requirement that the address data items uniquely identify various segments of the information zones and distinguish them from all the other segments of the entire disc file system. Further, it is common practice to use various address formats for different disc file models, even different models manufactured by the same company. These factors further increase the demands on the memory that stores the address data prior to recordation on the discs and also intensify the problems associated with the proper placement of the address data in the address tracks of the discs.